The Hollywood Times gets an inside look at one of Los Angeles’ favorite celebrity gifting lounges
LOS ANGELES, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/11/26 – Awards season in Los Angeles means red carpets, nominees, parties and, naturally, gifting suites.
On Friday, September 11, The Hollywood Times headed to the rooftop of the iconic Petersen Automotive Museum for the Secret Room Events Style Lounge, where nominees, celebrities, media and invited guests spent the afternoon discovering an eclectic mix of fashion, beauty, food, wellness, technology and lifestyle brands.
Running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the invitation-only event transformed the Petersen rooftop into a lively awards-week gathering overlooking Los Angeles. Guests moved from booth to booth meeting entrepreneurs, sampling products, discovering new brands and, of course, leaving with some pretty impressive goodies.
The annual Celebrity Award Event was produced by Secret Room Events, which has become known for its celebrity gifting suites surrounding major entertainment industry occasions. Organizers brought together a large collection of sponsors and brands for this year’s celebration, creating an afternoon that was part shopping discovery, part networking event and part Hollywood party.
And it was crowded!
One of the nicest surprises of the afternoon was running into two friends and familiar Hollywood faces, acclaimed television director and producer Mary Lou Belli and actress Kate Linder.
Belli has built an impressive career directing television for more than three decades, with credits that include The Ms. Pat Show, NCIS: New Orleans, Station 19, Sweet Magnolias, Black Lightning, Girlfriends and The Game. She is also a multiple Emmy nominee and two-time Los Angeles Area Emmy Award winner.
It was also wonderful to see Kate Linder, beloved by daytime television audiences for her longtime role as Esther Valentine on CBS’ The Young and the Restless, a character she has played since 1982. Linder is also a Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree and has devoted considerable time throughout her career to charitable causes, including her longtime support of the ALS community.
I am sure there were plenty more A-listers making their way through the Secret Room lounge throughout the day, but with such a packed rooftop and guests constantly moving between booths, it was nearly impossible to catch everyone. That crowd was also part of the energy and fun of the afternoon.
Secret Room Events brought together more than 20 participating brands in the main lounge, with still more companies represented through the event’s oversized take-home gift bags.
One of the major sponsors was SKÖN, whose motto is “Beautifully Strong.” The clean skincare brand focuses on science-backed, vegan formulations created to help skin look and feel healthier and brighter.
SKÖN’s presence was especially fitting at a Hollywood style lounge, where skincare, beauty and self-care were naturally among the afternoon’s biggest draws.
Fashion was well represented as well.
B’Luxe Clothing Boutique brought statement-making apparel and accessories, while BAYE London added colorful luxury swim and resort wear to the mix. BAYE London was among the event’s featured gifting partners, with guests receiving pieces from the brand’s swim and resort collections.
One of the products that immediately makes you stop and ask, “Wait, how does that work?” came from POM DROPS LLC®. The company has turned traditional hair styling clay into individually portioned solid pellets. Warm one in your hand and style away, eliminating the need to repeatedly dig into a jar of product.
Technology also found its way into the gifting experience courtesy of KORBLE Smart Greeting Cards. KORBLE combines the traditional greeting card with NFC technology, allowing recipients to tap the physical card with a compatible smartphone and access a personalized video message. It is a clever marriage of old-fashioned sentiment and modern technology.
Beauty lovers also had an opportunity to discover The Deweffect, a skincare company focused on targeted products and streamlined beauty routines.
Food was certainly not forgotten. The Leavened Box showcased artisan sourdough and naturally fermented breads, including creative varieties that move well beyond the traditional loaf.
Souk & Wanderlust brought an international flavor to the rooftop with handcrafted goods sourced from artisans and makers from around the world, emphasizing traditional craftsmanship and thoughtful production.
Handbag lovers could discover Hale Sky, known for convertible leather bags designed to transition between tote, briefcase and backpack configurations.
And every good gifting suite needs a little humor. Punaballoo delivered just that with its world of pun-inspired gifts, stickers, apparel and novelty items.
Kenna’s Crystals added sparkle to the afternoon with crystals, jewelry and decorative pieces, while other participating brands brought everything from sports and wellness to fashion, beauty and immersive technology.
There was even something for the athletic set. Crush Sports and Beverly Hills Tennis Academy were among the announced participants, with private tennis lessons among the experiences represented at the event.
Guests interested in wellness and self-care could also discover Japanese Head Spa Co and Dr. Lori Integrative Medicine, while SHAKEitCOOL, Lunette, Ohhh So Swag, EVOKE Immersive Technologies, Heart of the Streets H.O.T.S Clothing and Posh Pixie Moments helped round out the diverse collection of offerings.
And because this was Hollywood awards week, there was wine.
Broken Trust Cellars served its wines to guests and media throughout the afternoon, adding a little liquid relaxation to an already busy day of introductions, interviews, celebrity sightings and product discoveries.
The announced lineup of participating exhibitors and sponsors included:
SKÖN
B’Luxe Clothing Boutique
The Leavened Box
Japanese Head Spa Co
The Deweffect
Posh Pixie Handmade
Crush Sports
Beverly Hills Tennis Academy
POM DROPS LLC®
SHAKEitCOOL
Kenna’s Crystals
Souk & Wanderlust
BAYE London
Broken Trust Cellars
Dr. Lori Integrative Medicine
Punaballoo
Hale Sky
Lunette
Ohhh So Swag
EVOKE Immersive Technologies
Heart of the Streets H.O.T.S Clothing
Posh Pixie Moments
KORBLE Smart Greeting Cards – also,
But the gifting did not stop at the exhibitor tables.
Honored guests also departed carrying a giant Lunette bag packed with additional products, treats and offers from another extensive collection of companies.
Among the brands announced for the take-home gifting were Cascade Skincare, Epic Pet Health, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Wildflower Glow, MTK Mocktails, Merch Madness Group, Hygia’s Blue, AromaPier Inc., Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds, Noir & Nova, Bactose, Verity Collectives, LA Reunion Jewelry, Hair Creations and Skin, Siesta Key Coffee Company, SLAPP, Hormbles Chormbles, Eyetitude, Nichols Farms, MIZU LAB, Granola Guru and KingBugagu.
Also inside the gifting mix was Ollyball, the indoor play ball created by inventor Joe Burke and recognized as a Toy of the Year winner.
That variety is really what gives a Secret Room event its personality.
One minute you are talking skincare. The next you are looking at resort wear, tasting something delicious, checking out crystals, discovering jewelry, hearing about a wellness treatment or learning how a new piece of technology works.
Then somebody places a product you have never seen before into your hands and tells you the story behind it.
That is where these lounges become about much more than the gift bags.
For the entrepreneurs and independent companies participating, an event like Secret Room provides a valuable opportunity to put their products directly in front of celebrities, entertainment media and other tastemakers who may be discovering their businesses for the first time.
For guests, it is an opportunity to meet the people who actually created those products.
Doing all of that from the Petersen Automotive Museum rooftop, surrounded by the Los Angeles skyline and the excitement of awards weekend, made the afternoon even more enjoyable.
Secret Room Events has built its reputation producing celebrity gifting experiences surrounding awards shows and entertainment industry events, and this year’s Style Lounge delivered the kind of eclectic mix that makes wandering from table to table half the fun.
For The Hollywood Times, however, one of the best parts of events like this remains meeting the people behind the products.
Gifting suites may be famous for celebrities walking away with overflowing bags, but behind those bags are designers, inventors, artists, beauty entrepreneurs, food makers and small-business owners hoping that somebody will stop, ask a question and discover what they have created.
And somewhere between catching up with Mary Lou Belli and Kate Linder, navigating the packed rooftop, enjoying the Los Angeles sunshine and discovering booth after booth of new products, Friday’s Secret Room Events Style Lounge delivered exactly what a Hollywood gifting suite should.
A little glamour, a lot of goodies and plenty of stories to take home.
Secret Room Events is an independent event producer and is not affiliated with the Emmys, Emmy Awards or the Television Academy.
By Valerie Milano, The Hollywood Times
Photos: THT/Morgan Clark
